This invention is directed to hygienic absorbent articles, such as diapers, adult incontinence articles, feminine protection articles and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to absorbent articles including thermally activatable adhesives.
Absorbent articles are well known in the art. These articles typically have an absorbent core, which is held or positioned against the body of the wearer during use by a fastening system, such that the bodily exudates are caught by the article. Typical absorbent articles include a topsheet facing the wearer which permits fluid exudates to pass through and a backsheet which prevents the exudates from escaping from the absorbent article.
Many advancements have been made in the art since the introduction of the disposable absorbent article. However, problems still exist relating to isolation of bodily waste, such as fecal material, and application of the article to the wearer. Attempts have been made to isolate fecal waste by employing pockets, topsheets with receiving apertures, spacing elements, barrier cuffs, and other physical means. These generally have the deficiency of inadequately maintaining coordination with the wearer""s body, especially the waste outlet points and/or the portions of the wearer""s body near the perimeter of the product. Attempts have also been made to improve the application of the article to the wearer by the use of adhesive tapes and mechanical fastening systems such as Velcro(copyright). However, the articles are still difficult to apply to mobile wearers using only two hands.
In an effort to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, topical adhesives such as hydrocolloid, silicone, and hydrogel adhesives have been incorporated into disposable articles as a means of better positioning the article or maintaining body contact. However, these attempts fail to provide an adequately convenient means of using the product because they require release paper to prevent accidental contamination of the adhesive during manufacture, storage, and preparation. Additionally, such embodiments may result in inadvertent sticking of the article to the caregiver""s hands and/or the wearer""s clothing, legs, etc. (e.g., regions of the body outside the intended attachment area).
Thus, it would be desirable to provide absorbent articles with improved fit and sealing which can be sustained during use. It would also be desirable to provide an article which maintains coordination with a specific area of the wearer""s anatomy. Further, it would be advantageous to provide an article with a thermally activatable topical adhesive which helps maintain the article in the desired configuration or location without irritating or harming the wearer""s skin. Even further, it would be advantageous to provide an article having a topical adhesive which is thermally activatable during the course of applying or wearing the article.
The present invention solves the deficiencies of the prior art by providing an absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet joined with at least a portion of the topsheet, an absorbent core disposed between at least a portion of the topsheet and the backsheet, and a thermally activatable adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the article. The thermally activatable adhesive is preferably capable of adhering the absorbent article to the skin of the wearer during at least a portion of the product""s use or a portion of the absorbent article to itself during use. Further, the thermally activatable adhesive is activated by the wearer or caregiver or when a certain condition is met within the article to facilitate easy and comfortable removal of the product from the wearer or to facilitate comfortable wearing of the product. For example, the thermally activatable adhesive may be activated at temperatures in the range of about 28xc2x0 C. to about 60xc2x0 C.